Soccer: Barca's Roberto handed four-game ban for striking Marcelo

BARCELONA (Reuters) - Barcelona defender Sergi Roberto will miss the rest of the Liga season and the first match of the next campaign after being given a four-game ban for striking Real Madrid’s Marcelo in last Sunday’s tension-filled 2-2 draw at the Nou Camp.

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced the ban for “assaulting another player” in its weekly disciplinary statement on its official website.

Roberto was given a straight red card in first-half injury time for the incident with the Brazilian during an off-the-ball tussle on the edge of Barca’s area.

Referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez wrote in his report on the game that the player had been sent off for “striking an opponent with his arm with excessive force while the ball was not near enough to be in dispute”.

Roberto was already banned for Wednesday’s game at home to Villarreal and will now miss the final games at Levante and at home to Real Sociedad as champions Barcelona bid to become the first team to end a Liga season without defeat since 1933.

The Spain international will also be suspended for the first Liga game of next season when Barca begin their title defence.